Boiling Spring Lakes fire truck burned

this is #2 THE ONE THAT BURNT LAST WEEK WAS THE ONE THAT REPLACED THE F250 FORD THAT BURNT ABOUT 5 OR 6 YEARS

BSL has only lost one truck. Winnabow lost a truck a few years back. That truck wasn't stuck, and there was nothing under the tires. Even if it had been stuck, that's what the 12k warn winch on the front was for. You people really need to relax and know what you're talking about before you make complete idiots of yourselves.

The only people who really know what happened are the three guys on the truck that day. They know the true story, not all of you people who think you know what you're talking about but are really just making fools of yourselves. Not one single person is at fault for this, it was an equipment failure. Things break, especally on a fire truck, it's just a fact of life. To all those who think we should fight fire from the road, that's fine and well until there is no road. Fire never burns where it's convienent to get to, that's why QRVs are necessary. I'd be willing to put money on the fact that you also think crimes are solved just like they do in CSI. To all you people complaining about "being to close", if that was your house being threatned, don't you think you would want the fire put out? Sure, we could wait around for it to come to us, but that's not our job. Our job is to save lives and property. Sure, a truck was lost but trucks are easily replaced, human lives are not. Bottom line is no one is to blame, at all. Three men went home that night, and three families don't have to bury their loved ones.

To the firefighters, plain and simple, your equipment is your life. You loose your equipment and you very well may loose your life. You are lucky you are alive and just a truck is gone. No big deal on the bill. We taxpayers will take care of it either by buying a new truck or by paying higher insurance premiums for this blunder. To the town officials, town manager and that group of do nothing commissioners and mayor. Thank you for sitting on your hands or better yet like the three monkey's of "see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil" and doing nothing. You have given us a brand new town hall that was not needed. You have given us a highly questionable police chief that has hired rejects from all over the county and, you support those at the fire department that do not know how to protect equipment and their own lives. I guess we need another bridge so we will have one to give a name to when a firefighter gets killed. When everyone laughs at us for being such rubes for electing you all, we deserve it because we did it. But you see, we trusted you. That was a major mistake.

Everyone can say what they want. The bottom line here is a bad decision was made. You can have all the training in the world, but when you exercise poor judgement, this kind of thing happens. I have been in the fire service a long time here in Brunswick County and finally some (not enough) accountability is being placed onto the departments. This is why questions are now being asked and they rightfully should be asked, and good answers should be provided from the leadership of BSL FD NOT RANDY THOMPSON OR SCOTT GARNER. I hope all BC FD's can learn from this mistake and develop effective SOG's and SOP's that provide guidance to firefighters when out doing their job. And another thing, there is no distinction between paid or volunteer anymore. Both train to the same standards and are held to the same standard of practice. So, lets stop the excuses and finger pointing and realize a mistake costing over $100,000 to the taxpayers of Brunswick County was made. (Yes, VFIS will replace this truck, however, fire fees pay the premiums each year) And yes this is the second truck BSL has had burn from a woods fire. Get some guidelines and policies in place before someone is hurt or killed.

My crew and I did burn up a truck at the St. James fire. But I did my job and now my crew is home tonight. I have read the comments. Were you there? No I was and I was the officer in charge. Most of the comments are what I like to call monday morning firefighting. The comments state that we are untrained, dumb and blind. The crew with me that day have around 90 years of service between use. One has 50 years, the other two have 30 plus and 12 plus years. For me I have over 20 years as a paid and volunteer firefighter. Plus bsl has trained there firefighter for forest firefighting. Some of you are asking should we have been in the fire? Yes to save the houses on the other side of 211 and the St. James sales office. A few of you have looked at the photos and are saying that we got it stuck. If you look closer you will see no tires on the front and the drive side rear. There are no logs under the truck also. The true story is the truck stalled and would not start. The pump would also not start. The fire over come the crew when the wind change. I have asked myself would I do the same thing as i did on Tuseday? YES I would to save your house. The monday morning firefighters should also be asking is why was there an open burn when the winds at 15 to 30 miles perhour.

We and i the officer in charge did burn up a truck. But i did my job and everyone is home tonight. It makes me mad when all these monday morning firefighters come up with comments and statements that are not true and do not know what happened that day. Where you there no, I was. Should we have been there? yes to save the houses on the other side of 211. Some of you are stating that the truck looks stuck or there is a log there. The front end dose look like it is down on the ground. Well it is, becouse the tire where blown out. The truth is the truck did stall out and would not start and the pump would not start also. The wind changed and the fire was on us in few seconds. Now for training, My crew that day has over 90 years firefighting combind. one has 50 year, the other two have 30 and 16 years. For me i have over 20 years as a paid firefighter and vounteer. The boiling springs fire department has 85 to 90 % of there members forester firefighting certifed. all the monday morning firefighters should ask way was there a concroled fire on a day with 15 to 30 mile winds. I was asked by the forstery service would I do anything differnt. I told them no and would do it today to save your house or mine.

Being a volunteer in the fire service for over 30 years, I can just say this..If you can protect the lives and property adjacent to the fire, surely you can protect your own equipment from burning as bad as the picture shows. I have been in some huge woods fires in my time, but I always made sure that the truck that took me to the fire could take me back to the station. PS ... The firefighters in New York on 9/11 had a good explanation for the fire trucks they lost.

This is why more training is needed for fight forest fires. I've got a lot of respect for volunteer firefighters, but so many of them are under trained and they smell smoke and get all excited.. But to get the proper training it requires having strong leadership.. BSL is lucky they didn't loose a couple of fire fighters. When a blowup occurs, it can be on a fire team before they know it.. A lot of these local Volunteer Fire Departments need to work with the NC Forest Service on wildland fire training..

When you really look at the picture this truck is stuck. The Fire Chief said it stalled. Take a good look at the photo. My husband was a fire fighter for this department and I support every one of those guys. But the biggest problem was not enough training. Everyone thought they knew how to run everything but a lot of things got messed up due to lack of training. Now that they have more money it needs to go to training and not replacing fire trucks. Then they need to get someone good in there to run everything and make sure they get the proper training. If you have a good leader you can get more state funding and training. . I know these guys are volunteers but you still have to put in the time to get the job done.

Did they not say they were going to the fire and the truck Went 10-7, I was in a simmular situation in years past and the only thing that saved our truck was a forestry plane dumping water or retardent on the fire and the truck. If the truck breaks in the middle of the process and you abandon it then the fire can go any which way the wind blows it. That goes to show all the ignorant people sitting on the side of the road waiting on it to come to ya, it is then to late once the head starts traveling it will get to the houses shortly, look at the California fires

I have only one question. Why are fire departments still putting brush trucks off the road into the woods when there is no valve added in doing so? we should keep the trucks on the pavement and only go off road if needed to protect someones home. It seems that quite a few VFD's are getting rid of the brush trucks and committing to staying on the pavement.

IF ALL THESE PEOPLE THINK THEY CAN DO A BETTER JOB AT FIGHTING FIRES THEY SHOULD JOIN THE DEPARTMENTS.THESE VOLUNTEER HAVE OTHER JOBS AND ARE OUT THERE WHEN EVERYONE ELSE IS HOME SLEEPING.

The only thing wrong here is the insurance company trying to get out of paying the claim! Just like any other type of insurance. They charge you almost an arm and a leg for it and if anything happens, they will go to all extremes to get out of paying the claim. I am thankful to all our firefighters. I know nothing personally about the ones in BSL but I'm sure as in other small towns they are all volunteers. I suggest to all those who are cutting them down to go volunteer and suit up yourselves and see if you can do a better job. Otherwise you should be quiet about things you personally know nothing about and are not willing to do yourselves.

Is it just or is there a huge log partially under the truck. Makes me wonder if something didnt get pulled loose when they ran over it. The state looking at "why it got so close to the flames." Lets see. Fire. Fire truck. I'm no rocket scientist but isnt that what they do? Put the wet stuff on the red stuff. Someone else commented that this may be the second time they have burned a truck. I have been in BSL for 10 years and don't remember another one.

This is completely outrageous to loose valuable equipment on a senseless woods fire. There were no lives or structures endanger---This is a complete waste of tax payers money. It also shows the lack of leadership exhibited by BSL and St James fire department to allow this to happen. When a fire is raging out of control like this fire was--responders should have been in a secure area, not putting lives in danger over woods burning. I could understand if structures or lives were in danger, but neither were. What a lack of responsibility. St 37 and St 4 should be really proud of theirselves---for making a complete fool of the fire service.

Thank God that no one was injuried...it's just a truck and it can be replaced. Thanks to all the Firefighters, EMS and LEO's...JOB WELL DONE.

Isn't this the second time BSL has burned a brush truck? I think there is a problem here.